This paper
describes the sexual practices and perceptions of risk among undergraduate
students attending a tertiary institution in Jamaica. The study was guided by
six research questions. To answer these research questions, a descriptive
survey design was used for the study. A total of 63 undergraduate students were
selected using the stratified random method. Data for the study were collected
through the use of a questionnaire and focus group discussion. The data were coded
and entered into SPSS version 20. Simple descriptive statistics (frequency and
percentage, cross-tabulation and t-test) were used to analyze the data. The
results showed that over two- thirds (85%) of the students were sexually active
and that the male students initiated their sexual activities earlier than the
female students. It was revealed
that 12.6% of the respondents had their first sexual encounter when they were less
than ten years old. The findings of this study showed that a greater number of
females (41.0%) reported using a condom on their first sexual encounter when
compared to 20.6% of the male undergraduate students. Although 88.8% of the respondents reported seeing
the promotional
advertisement about safe sex, 11.2% stated that the advertisements were not
convincing, for example they stated: “it did not convince me, and needed to
show more than the risk”, and “not doing enough to scare young people about
STD”. This has serious implications for how prevention messages are fashioned.
The study indicates
the need for partnerships to improve the STI/HIV risk reduction interventions
in Jamaica. Based on the sexual practices identified in this
study, undergraduates at this particular university are at risk of contracting
STIs making them susceptible to cervical cancers, infertility and unwanted
pregnancies. Based on the
findings and their implications, six recommendations were made on how to use
the platforms that will appeal to this group of undergraduate students in
practicing safe sex.
Cite this paper
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